Counting mechanism.



J. E. SHEPPARD.

COUNTING MECHANISM.

APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 26, 1908.

1,05 1,922, Patented Feb.4, 1913.

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J. E. SHEPPARD. COUNTING MECHANISM.

APPLIGATION FILED JUNE 26, 1908. 1,05 1,922, Patented Feb. 4, 1913.

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JAMES E. SHEPPARD, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TOJULIUS WARREN SHEPPARD, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

COUNTING MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 4,1913.

Application filed June 26, 1908. Serial No. 440,439.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES E. SHEPPARD, a citizen of the United States,residing a- VVorcester, in the county of Worcester and Commonwealth ofMassachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in CountingMechanism, of which the following is a specification, accompanied bydrawings forming a part of the same, in which Figure l is a front viewof a counting mechanism embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view.Fig. 8 is a transverse sectional view through two of the units formingthe counting system on the plane of the broken line 3, Fig. 2. Fig. 4:is a similar transverse view on the broken line l, Fig. 2. Figs. 5 and 6are transverse sectional views through two of the units on the brokenlines 5 and 6 respectively, Fig. 2, and Fig. 7 is a detached view of thelocking plate. Fig. 8 denotes the same sectional view of the unit G asis shown in Fig. 3, but wit-h the ring 9 rotated to bring its tooth 11against the stop pin 12. Fig. 9 is a central longitudinal sectional viewof the unit Gr. Fig. 10 is a side view of the latch 27. Fig. 11 is asectional view throngh the mechanism for locking the latch 27 on theplane of the broken line ll, 11, Fig. 2, and Fig. 12 is a detached viewof the key 37.

Similar reference letters and figures refer to similar parts in thedifferent views.

My present invention relates to a counting and registering mechanismsuch as is employed to indicate the aggregate individual operations of amachine as, for example, the number of revolutions of a shaft, thereciprocating movements of an engine piston, or the number of completedproducts of any given machine. Like similar mechanisms now in use itcomprises a series of individual units, each capable of registeringnumbers containing a single figure and being successively gearedtogether ina ratio of one to ten, whereby the first series of numberswill register units, the second, tens, the third, hundreds, the fourth,thousands, and so on to the end of the series employed.

My present invention consists in certain novel features of constructionand arrangement of parts as hereinafter described and pointed out in theannexed claims, whereby greater certainty of operation is secured and aliability of erroneous registration, either by accident or design, isobviated.

In the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings 1 have shownan assemblage of eight individual units, indicated by the letters A, B,C, D, E, F, G and H. Each of the units is provided with a diskcontaining numbers comprising the nine digits and zero, arranged in aconcentric circle with equidistant spaces. An initial intermittentrotary motion is given to the unit A through the medium of anoscillating lever 1, which is actuated at each movement of the machineto be counted. At each complete revolution of the unit A, a similarintermittent movement is given to the unit B, and at each completerevolution of the unit B a similar intermittent movement is given to theunit C, and so on throughout the entire series, each of said units beingsecurely locked from any movement except that imparted to it in thenormal operation of the mechanism.

The different units are preferably arranged in a single straight row andmounted upon fixed studs 2. As the units are substantially duplicates ofeach other a description of G will suflice for all. Rotating upon thestud 2 is a sleeve 3 to which is rigidly attached a disk i, a ratchetwheel 5, a disk 6, and an outer sleeve 7 provided with a digit disk 8.Between the sleeve 7 and disk 6 is mounted a loose ring 9, best shown inFig. 3, provided with a single actuating tooth 10 and a stop tooth 11,between which is inclosed a pin 12-carried by the disk (3. The disk 4;is provided with ten equal peripheral concave recesses, as shown at 13,Fig. &, adapted to receive the periphery of the disk 6 of the nextadjacent unit F, by which the unit G is held from rotation independently of the unit F. The disk 6, best shown in Fig. 4t, is acircular plate having its periphery fitting the concave recess 13 of thedisk 4 of the next adjacent unit, and provided with a recess 1%. toallow the two units to be turned in unison.

The ring 9 is provided that, when the unit G is turned in the directionof the arrow 15, the tooth 10 will engage one of the ratchet teeth ofthe ratchet 5 carried by the unit H and impart :1 limited rotativemovement thereto. The disks with a tooth 10 so 6 and 4, havinginterlocking peripheries corresponding to the well known Geneva stopmotion, are the locking means for holding the adjacent units fromindependent movement and the loose ring 9, having a driving tooth 10which bears against the pin 12 carried by the disk 6, constitutes thedriving mechanism through its engagement with the teeth of the drivenratchet 5. The movement imparted to the ratchet 5 by the tooth 10 isjust sutlicient to rotate the driven unit far enough to substitute onedigital number in the place of another on the disk 8, and cause the disk6 to interlock with the next succeeding concave recess 13 on the disk4;. This limited rotative movement of each of the units takes place onceat each complete rotation of the preceding or driving unit. The initialmovement is given to the unit A through the oscillating lever 1 by meansof a driving pawl 16 engaging the ratchet 5 of the first unit, and thereverse movement of the ratchet is prevented by a retaining pawl 17,Fig. 5. Immediately behind the ratchet 5 of the unit A is a smallerratchet 18, Figs. 2 and 6, having its teeth upon its upper side engagedby a pin 19 carried by a gravity plate 20, which is pivoted at 21. Themovement of the unit A, as actuated by the lever 1, is in the directionof the arrow 22, Fig. 5, but motion in this direction is normallyprevented by the pin 19.

As the lever 1 is raised, it lifts the gravity plate 20 and carries thepin 19 out of engagement with the ratchet 18 by means of a pin 23,carried by the gravity plate 20 and passing through a slot in thelever 1. At the highest point in the elevation of the lever 1 acorresponding locking tooth 24 on the gravity plate 20 is carried intoengagement with the under side of the ratchet 18; the unit A is,therefore, locked against movement in one direction by the retainingpawl 17, and against movement in the opposite direction by one of thepins 19 or 24 at the extreme upper or lower ends of the movement of thelever 1.

The gravity plate 20 is loosely pivoted at 21 so that it is capableof alateral swinging movement on its pivot, but it is normally held againstthe side of the ratchet 18 by means of a blade spring 25 attached to thelever 1, The object of the lateral swinging movement of the gravityplate is to enable it to be pushed sidewise, so as to entirely disengagethe pins 19 and 24 from the ratchet 18. The ratchet 5 upon each of theunits overlaps the locking plate upon the next preceding unit, so thatthe ratchet of the unit H prevents the longitudinal withdrawal of theunit G from its stud. Similarly the ratchet of the unit G locks the unitF from longitudinal movement and so on through the series. The last unitH of the series has attached to the inner end of its sleeve a collar 26,which is locked against longitudinal movement on its stud by means of apivoted latch 27, which is pivoted at one end, with its opposite endengaging the side of the collar 26.

The latch 27 is attached to a pivotal pin 28 which is free to rotate ina post 29. The latch 27 is preferably locked in the position shown inFig. 10 by any suitable locking mechanism, in the present instance, thelatch is locked by a sliding spring actuated locking pin 30 having itstip adapted to enter a diametrical hole 31 in the pivotal pin 28, andheld in position by a spiral spring 32. The post 29 is provided with avertical hole 33 in alinement with the diametrical hole 31 in thepivotal pin 28 allowing a key, consisting of a small metal rod, to beinserted in the hole 33 for the purpose of pushing the spring actuatedlocking pin 30 downwardly out of engagement with the pivotal pin 28.\Vhen this has been accomplished the latch 27 is rocked slightly, inorder to catch the end of the locking pin 30 beneath the edge of thehole 31, when the key is removed and the latch raised into the positionshown by the broken lines 3 1, Fig. 10.

In order to prevent the locking mechanism from being tampered with, Iintroduce in the hole 33 a slidable safety pin 35 held in an inclinedhole 36, so it will slide by gravity into the position shown in Fig. 11with its lower end in the hole 33, thereby preventing the insertion ofan ordinary metal rod into the hole 33. In order to remove the safetypin 35 I use a key 37, shown in Fig. 12, having one end beveled at 38and adapted to enter past the lower end of the stop pin and by thebeveled surface 38, crowding the stop pin upwardly in the hole 36.

lVhen the latch 27 has been raised in the position of the broken lines 31-, the collar 26 will be released and allow the unit II to be drawnforward out of engagement with the unit G, so its disk 8 may be set withthe zero mark uppermost. In order to withdraw the unit H on its stud,however, it will be neces sary to turn the ring 9 on the sleeve 3sulfieiently to bring the tooth 11 against the stop pin 12, as shown inFig. 8. This move mentof the ring 9 changes the position of theactuating tooth 10 so as to allow the. disk 4- to be drawn out, whichwould otherwise be locked in position by the overlapping of the tooth10.

The release of the unit I-I effects the release of the preceding unit Gwhich, when drawn out of its stud, will release the preceding unit F andso on through the series, allowing each of the disks 8 to be turned tobring their zero marks uppermost as shown in Fig. 1. In the positionshown in Fig. 1 all the units are set at zero and, when they are pushedback in the position shown in Fig. 2 and the collar 26 locked by thelatch 27, as shown in Fig. 2, it is impossible to tamper with themechanism to cause it to indicate an erroneous count.

I claim,

1. In a mechanism of the class described, comprising a series ofregistering units, the combination with the first unit of said series,of an actuating mechanism for imparting an intermittent movement theretoin one direction, means for locking said units against a movement in thereverse direction, and an automatic locking mechanism for locking saidunit from movement in a forward direction except during saidintermittent forward movement, comprising a pivoted lever having a pairof pins, with one of said pins arranged to engage and lock said unit bygravity, and means operating simultaneously with said actuatingmechanism to move said pin out of and the other of said pins intolocking engagement with said unit.

2. In a mechanism of the class described, comprising a series ofregistering units, the combination with the first unit of said series,of a locking mechanism, comprising a lever pivoted at one end, a pair oflocking pins carried by said lever, one above and one below said unit,means for raising said lever to carry one pin into locking engagementwith said unit, and means for releasing said lever to allow gravity tocarry the other of said pins into locking engagement with said unit.

3. In a mechanism of the class described, comprising a series ofregistering units, means for actuating the first unit of said series,and means for automatically locking said series against movement,comprising a lever pivoted at one end and provided with a pair of pinsarranged to alternately engage said unit, said lever being capable of alateral movement on its pivot, whereby both of said pins are moved outof engagement with said unit.

4. In a mechanism of the class described, comprising a series ofregistering units, the combination with the first unit in said series,of means for automatically locking said unit, means for releasing saidunit, and means for imparting a limited rotative movement to said unitwhile it is released, said locking means arranged to be moved out ofoperative relation to said unit at will.

5. In a mechanism of the class described, comprising a series ofregistering units, means for imparting an intermittent movement to thefirst unit of said series, and means for operatively connecting saidseries, comprising a toothed wheel upon the driven unit, a loose ringheld concentrically upon the driving unit, having a projectin toothadapted to engage said toothed whee and means for limiting the rotativemovement of said ring.

6. In a mechanism of the class described, comprising a series ofregistering units, means for imparting an intermittent movement to thefirst unit of said series, and means for operatively connecting saidseries, comprising a toothed wheel upon the driven unit, a loose ringupon the driving unit, having a projecting driving tooth adapted toengage said toothed wheel of the driven unit, a stop tooth on said ring,and a stop pin between said stop tooth and said driving tooth to limitthe rotative move ment of said ring.

Dated this 23rd day of June, 1908.

7 JAMES E. SHEPPARD.

Witnesses PENELOPE CoMBERBAoH, RUrUs B. TowLEs.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G.

